


From Here On Out

by PeculiarVelociraptor



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, accidental drunk feelings talk, they're both sweet and stupid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-20 00:02:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeculiarVelociraptor/pseuds/PeculiarVelociraptor
Summary: *Season 8 Spoilers* Post S8, except forget the epilogue, that never happened. Shiro and Keith are pining messes and everyone can see it. Keith leaves with the Blade of Marmora and Shiro stays on Earth to help the Garrison. When they're both sent to a diplomatic meeting they end up drunkenly confessing their feelings for each other. The next day, Keith doesn't remember anything about their conversation. Shiro is left confused and doesn't know what to do. Angst ensues. Happy ending I promise. Character deaths are just those that occur in canon. Shiro/Keith is main with background Acxa/Veronica and Krolia/Kolivan.





	From Here On Out

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic for VLD but I felt some things about that epilogue so this is my sort-of fix-it fic. I always wanted to see Acxa and Keith have a closer friendship, they seem so similar. So I explored that a little here. This will be multiple chapters, probably 4-ish, but we'll see. I'm finishing exams this week and then I plan to finish it before the end of the year. Tell me what you think, it's my first time publishing my stuff on here so any constructive criticism (or encouragement) is welcome!

It was finally over. Keith’s life had been a whirlwind ever since finding Shiro in that Garrison medbay, and now it felt as if, after years of nonstop spinning, the universe had just crashed to a halt. Everything was still and quiet for the first time in years, but there was a hole in the team left by Allura’s death. It had been a week since their final encounter with Honerva and the memories were still fresh. The crew and the paladins had been given this week to rest and recharge after everything that had happened, and it had been nice in a way, but tomorrow it was back to work. 

Pidge was staying on Earth to work with her family and the Garrison to integrate all of the new technology they’d encountered into Earth’s infrastructure, which still needed a lot of help after the invasion. Hunk and Lance were going with Coran and the other Alteans to help establish a new Altean colony under the protection of the Coalition. Keith knew Lance felt like he owed it to Allura to help her people now that she was gone, even though everyone could see how much he was hurting. Hunk said he would tag along to offer his services as an engineer and chef, but Keith suspected it was more to give Lance moral support than anything else. That just left Keith and Shiro. Keith had no idea what Shiro would be doing or what was going to happen to the Atlas now that space combat wasn’t an immediate concern. The early morning coffee break they had planned would be the first time Keith had really sat down with Shiro since they had launched the Atlas, which felt weird. He and Shiro usually spent as much downtime together as possible, but between Shiro’s commander duties, Keith being black paladin, and trying to get more than 3 hours of sleep a night, there had been no time for either of them to do more than check-in quickly during meals. 

At 0700 the coffee shop at the outskirts of the Garrison was usually packed, but today was Sunday, and the last day everyone had to sleep in before starting work again, so when Keith walked in it was empty. Shiro sat in the corner with two cups of coffee and waved him over.

“Hey, is one of those for me or are you just recovering from another all-nighter?”

Shiro laughed and looked up at Keith “No, no all-nighters last night, finally. I think I remembered what you used to get. Hazelnut latte right?”

“Yeah, I’m surprised you remembered, we haven’t had coffee like this in ages.”

Shiro cracked a smile. “I haven’t forgotten everything in my old age.”

Keith snorted and sat down. “I know what everyone else’s plans are, but what about you? Are you staying here to rebuild with the Garrison or are you going to help the Coalition?”

Shiro looked down into his mug and sighed. “I feel like I have to stay here since I’m the commander of the Atlas now. The Garrison needs leadership and Earth needs help establishing diplomatic ties with other planets.”

“But…?” Keith prodded.

“But I don’t want to be down here forever. I’ve seen so many other worlds, met so many other races, but all under horrible circumstances. I want to go back up there, fly in between the stars without being afraid for my life.”

Keith patted Shiro’s robotic arm gently. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, I knew once you went to Kerberos you’d never want to come back for long.”

Shiro smiled and shrugged. “What can I say, I’m a man of simple needs. Anyways, what about you? I haven’t heard what you’re planning on doing next.”

“I was thinking of going with my mom and Kolivan to help restore Daibazaal. The blades will need all the help they can get.”

“Oh.” Shiro paused and frowned. “So you’re not staying?”

“Oh uh no sorry,” Keith stuttered. “Unless you need me for anything?” There was a part of Keith that secretly wanted Shiro to beg Keith to stay on Earth with him, but he knew that would never happen. That’s why it was best if Keith got off this planet and threw himself into something that didn’t involve seeing Shiro every day.

“I mean I’d love to have your help around here, but I know I can’t ask you to stay. The blades are lucky to have you. It won’t be the same around here without you though, you’ll have to call me from time to time.” 

Shiro smiled and Keith couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah, of course. I’ll make sure to update you on everything.” 

“Good. What time are you leaving? I’ll come see you off.”

“Tomorrow at 0800. You definitely don’t have to, I know you’re busy, but I’d love to see you before leaving if you want to come.” 

Shiro frowned slightly. “Of course I want to come see my best friend off before I don’t see him again for months. I’ll be there.” 

Keith felt himself go red. “Ok, yea, of course.”

From there the conversation turned to the plans of the other paladins and then quietly to thinking of Allura and how Lance was holding up. At a lull in the conversation, Shiro looked down at his communicator for the time and jumped up.

“Shit, I have a meeting in 15 minutes! Sorry, I better head out, I ran here so I need to hurry.”

Keith stood up. “I rode my bike here, I can just give you a lift.”

Shiro took a deep breath. “Keith, you’re a lifesaver.”

They walked outside and Keith patted his hoverbike’s seat. “You remember these right?” he said teasingly, straddling the seat. 

“Of course,” Shiro said indignantly, getting on behind Keith and wrapping his arms around Keith’s waist. Keith immediately felt himself tense up. The ride over to the Garrison was 5 minutes max but it felt like so much longer than that with Shiro pressed up against Keith like he was afraid he was going to fall off if he didn’t touch every inch of Keith’s back. Shiro jumped off as they pulled up to the Garrison’s garage. 

He shouted to Keith as he ran, “Thanks for the ride, I’ll see you tomorrow morning!” Keith just waved and took a few deep breaths. His back and hips were still tingling from the contact. Putting up the bike, Keith headed back to his room to finish packing, which didn’t take long and came with the realization that he still didn’t own that many things. Throwing himself on his bed, Keith just stared at the ceiling and sighed.

This was just so frustrating. He knew Shiro didn’t feel the same way, and he hated having these feelings every time Shiro so much as touched him or looked at him the right way. At this rate, Shiro would catch on and that was not a conversation Keith was ready to have right now. That would go well, _Yea Shiro, I know I said I love you like a brother but actually every time you touch me my skin feels like it’s on fire and I can't stop thinking about kissing you._ That definitely wouldn’t ruin their friendship. 

~~~~~~~

The next morning started early, and Keith had been doing last minute checks with Acxa and Krolia for 2 hours when the crowd of well-wishers started to gather on the ground. Acxa shoved Keith teasingly and pointed outside.

“Look who came to send you off,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Keith shrugged and pretended to reread a checklist to hide the blush he could feel rising. “Yea, of course, it would look weird if the commander didn’t come to send the blades off.”

Acxa gave him a look and broke into what was probably the worst impression of Shiro that Keith had ever heard. “Oh Keith, you’ve saved my life so many times, how can I ever repay you? Please come back to me safe. Hold me in your big strong man arms before you go.”

Keith groaned and rolled his eyes. “Oh my god, do you ever shut up. Besides, he doesn’t feel that way about me, I’m like his little brother.”

“Yeah ok, people definitely look at their siblings the way you and Shiro look at each other. If Matt looked at Pidge the way Shiro looks at you, I’d shoot him.”

Keith glared at her. “Just drop it, ok Acxa? It’s not going to happen.”

“Ok, ok, sorry. I just don’t want you to be stuck up in space forever regretting that you didn’t say anything.” Holding her hands up in mock surrender she made her way down the ramp and went immediately to say goodbye to Veronica. Keith smirked and made a mental note to give her shit about that during the trip as revenge.

He made his way down the ramp and found the other paladins, Shiro included, waiting for him. 

“We’re really going to miss you, man. Who knows when we’ll all be together like this again,” Hunk said, wiping tears out of his eyes.

“Hey, I’m not leaving forever. This should be a year max, and I’ll keep in touch. Mom and I have to call in with reports every few weeks anyways.”

Pidge reminded him to send her anything that might be useful for her research, including pictures of cute space animals, and Lance told him not to do anything stupider than usual, which was a sign that he was at least starting to act more like his old self. After a Hunk-initiated group hug, Keith made eye contact with Shiro and thought about what Acxa had said to him. Hunk seemed to get the idea that he wasn’t supposed to stick around for this conversation and dragged Pidge and Lance off to say goodbye to Krolia and Kolivan. 

Alone with Shiro, Keith was suddenly unable to say anything. He managed a small “Well, I guess I’ll see you in a few months or something.”

Shiro laughed. “I hope I hear from you before that. You and Krolia have to give me some sort of updates. I hope that’ll include a few personal calls?”

“Yea, of course it will.” Keith smiled and grabbed the hand Shiro held out, letting himself be pulled into a familiar hug. He let himself relax but felt Shiro let go of his hand. Keith started to pull away only to be pulled back in by both of Shiro’s arms wrapping themselves around his waist. He felt every part of his body heat up and willed everything from the waist down to not make this moment awkward. Keith knew he shouldn’t be doing this. This hug didn’t mean the same thing to Shiro as it did to him. But he wanted to be selfish just this once, so he wrapped both of his arms around Shiro’s neck and rested his face in the curve of Shiro’s neck. When they pulled away, Shiro smiled down at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Just be safe out there. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Shiro said, winking.

Keith smirked, butterflies getting stirred up in his stomach again. “You know, that doesn’t limit my options too much.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith saw his mom waving him over.

“I guess this is it.” Keith thought about saying something more definite, more straightforward. “I’ll ... miss you… but, I’ll see you later. Bye Shiro.” 

As Keith turned he heard Shiro say something, barely louder than a whisper. “I’ll miss you too Keith.”

Keith turned and walked onto the ship, heart racing and face burning. He turned and waved at everyone one last time before getting settled on the ship next to Acxa. She raised her eyebrows suggestively at him.

“Oh shut up.” Keith said, but he smiled. He knew he couldn’t have Shiro, but he could still have this moment and those words. 

_I’ll miss you too Keith._


End file.
